Amos bead



A. READ. Truss Pad.

No. 234,333. Patented Nov. 9,1880.

N.PETER5 PNnmMTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

AMOS READ, OF JAMESTOWN, NEW' YORK.

TRUSS-PAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 234,333, dated November9, 1880.

Application filed February 6, 1880.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos READ, of Jamestown, in the county ofChautauquaJ and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Truss-Pads; and Ido hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, and to lettersof reference marked thereon, which for-m appartof this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficienttruss-pad for holding a hernia or rupture, and effecting a cure for thesame, and one not liable to the objections of those in common use; andit consists in making the pad of one-halt' of a colnmon clam-shell withsuitable tilling material and devices for holding the same, as will bemore readily understood by the following description and accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure l is a side elevation. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation with belt attached. Fig. 3 is a plan view of edge.

The objection found to truss-pads as heretofore constructed is, thatmany of them are held in position by means of springs, and thus causeconstant pressure on the body, and so irritate the skin as to causesoreness and prevent them being worn nights, when most needed to effecta cure. t l

Those known as belt-pads Z are smooth and slip easily on the body, sothat any sudden jar is liable to displace them so the intestine worksout at the side, and not only impedes the cure, but many times preventsit entirely.

To overcome these objections I take a common clam -shell with itsnatural ridges retained, as shown in the drawings, Figs. l and 3, andtill it with plaster-of-paris, B, and before it hardens I embed into itpins or studs C, which, when it hardens, securely holds them,

and they project enough above the surface of 45.

the pad to attach the belt, as shown in Fig. 2.

The surface of the plaster-of-paris is made oval and highest at thecenter, so as to have the belt when drawn around the patient presshardest on this point, the outside ofthe clam- 5o shell heilig placeddirectly against the rupture and held there by the belt with suitableside stays for keeping it in position.

Thenaturalridges on the outside of the clamshell pressing against therupture prevents the intestine from working out, and atthe same time ismuch cooler than a smooth pad and so comfortable that they can be wornconstantly or till the cure is effected.

I make a right or left pad from the corre- 6o spending sides of theclam-shell, and the different-size shells give any desired size of pad.

So it will be readily seen that they can be made at much less cost thanothers, besides being more durable and efficient.

I have sometimes used the shell and put wire studs across it to attachthe belt thereto, and sometimes have inserted a coiled spring into theshell and let the belt pass over that, and have also used othei` devicesfor holding 7o the clam-shell pad for this purpose, but iind theplaster-of-paris tllin g and studs more durable, besides being cheaperand giving a more desirable shape to the pad.

As I have used and found the different devices mentioned for holding theclam-shell will answer, I do not wish to be strictly confined to theplaster-of-paris iilling.

I claim-- In a truss-pad, the combination of the clam-ih;v

shell with its natural ridges retained, and the inner llin g ofplaster-otparis or its equivalent, carrying suitable pins or studs forattachment to a belt, all arranged as described, and for the purpose setforth.

Witnesses AMOS READ, M. D.

F. J. LANGWORTHY, T. J. FENTON.

